WSBK – WSSP Thailand: superb victory for poleman Cluzel! –

WSSP Thailand: superb victory for poleman Cluzel !

WSBK - WSSP Thailand: superb victory for poleman Cluzel! -

Absent from the podium in Australia, the three very strong men of the Supersport championship made up for it in Thailand. Cluzel, Sofuoglu and Jacobsen scored big points in Buriram, and offered the public a magnificent battle…

Absent from the podium in Australia, the three very strong men of the Supersport championship made up for it in Thailand. Cluzel, Sofuoglu and Jacobsen scored big points in Buriram, and offered the public a magnificent battle…

Supersport Buriram Race 2016

The two Kawasaki took off very well from the first row but it was PJ Jacobsen who made the holeshot, leaping from his fourth place on the grid to first on the track. Starting from pole position, Jules Cluzel overtook Kenan Sofuoglu on the first pass of the wicked hairpin but the Turkish champion recovered his second place a few bends later…

Ratthapong Wilairot fell in the 2nd lap, to the chagrin of the crowd who came to cheer on last year’s hero’s brother, Ratthapark. The Thai rider tried to overtake a little too optimistically and fell into the gravel. Federico Caricasulo (third at Phillip Island) goes off the track in the same turn but avoids a crash and starts again in 21st place.

Warned at the end of the 3rd lap of Cluzel’s return by his signaller, Jacobsen signed the fastest lap in the 4th lap. But our dear "Julo" then Kenan beat him in the next loop! Randy Krummenacher is also in the rhythm, to the aspi of his teammate n ° 1.

Isolated in fifth position, Alex Baldolini found himself more than two seconds behind the leaders and had the same advantage over a second group made up of Kyle Smith, Zulfahmli Khairuddin, Lorenzo Zanetti and Gino Rea. Kevin Wahr and his R6 complete the Top 10 but they are chased by a horde of drivers !

In front, Cluzel delays and remains glued to the rear wheel of Honda n ° 2. The two Kawasaki Pucetti, # 1 and # 21, can be found in the aspiration of the MV Agusta # 16. Almost three seconds behind, Kyle Smith took fifth place. Honda rider # 111 is the fastest on the track…

The halfway mark is crossed and Jules Cluzel remains impeccably housed in PJ Jacobsen’s aspiration. A handful of lengths behind, Krummenacher stumbles on Sofuoglu but ends up doing the brakes at Sofuoglu at the end of the long – almost – right line, at the start of the 10th lap !

Two laps later, it was Cluzel’s turn to come under the pressure of the Swiss rookie. Our “Coq Supersportif” must take defensive paths until his surprise attack and “block-pass” when braking on hairpin n ° 3. The American responds tit-for-tat by bravely diving under the MV Agusta in the following curve, particularly fast !

Sofuoglu digs up the hatchet at the same time and overtakes his young teammate. There are still three laps to go … A slight gap is widening between the two leading men and the two Kawasaki. But Sofuoglu whips his Ninja in the winding end of the track and joins the leaders, followed by his inseparable teammate.

In the next loop, "PJ" expands and gives up control of the race! The Honda rider finds himself between the two Kawasaki and has to fight to keep "his" second place. Sofuoglu delays its braking in the hairpin but loses the advantage when accelerating…

While Jules Cluzel tumbles alone in the lead towards a first victory – and his first 25 points! – this season, Kenan Sofuoglu – who is also opening his counter in Thailand! – must play the big game to dominate his runner-up in 2015, PJ Jacobsen.

Winner of the first race in Australia, Randy Krummenacher pockets 13 points for fourth place and retains first place in the provisional classification. Fifth in Thailand, Kyle Smith leaves with 11 points and the best time in the race.

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